Through Rose-Tinted Glasses - Rewritten
by A Writer With Mixed Interests
Summary: A look at Season Two through the eyes of Sarah, with a few changes and fixes along the way. What's a sheltered girl to do when she's thrown into an apocalypse she's not prepared for? *Rewrite of 2014 fanfic of the same name*
1. The New Girl

**Through Rose-Tinted Glasses - Rewritten**

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 **Hey, y'all! So it's been a long time, once again. Sorry about that! So after some thinking and rereading, I decided that an old fanfic of mine from 2014, one of my first Walking Dead works, needed a serious, _serious_ overhaul. I'm hoping that I can make it a little better this time around, and I might even make a few more changes and fix a plot hole or two along the way. Even all these years later, I still love Sarah to bits and pieces, and I feel like she deserves a better fanfic than what I originally gave her. So without further ado, please enjoy!**

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"And then, the last of the body snatchers escaped the hospital morgue right before he could get caught!" **  
**

Sarah was eagerly going on all about _The Guurgles,_ the book she was currently reading, to Rebecca. It was early evening, and some of the group were in the kitchen, waiting for Pete and Luke to return from hunting for the day. Carlos, Sarah's father, was currently trying to clean some of the piling dishes in the sink, and Alvin and Nick were elsewhere in the cabin. No doubt Nick was angry at the fact that he'd been made to stay behind this time around. He wanted to help, to pull his own weight around here. To say that his mood wasn't great was an understatement.

Sarah enjoyed talking to Rebecca - or anyone that was available to listen, really - about her books, among other things. She just wished that she were allowed to do _more,_ though. Carlos had forbidden her from even taking a single step outside the house ever since the group had found it some time ago. There wasn't a lot that she was allowed to help with, either, and that made for an occasionally boring, and somewhat lonely, time in the cabin. It would've been so much cooler to have another kid around here, someone close to Sarah's own age. Being the only girl wasn't easy.

Little did she know, that wish was just about to come true.

The wait for Luke and Pete's return was much shorter than expected, because Luke came bolting into the kitchen only as Sarah was just finishing up the latest information on the main character.

"Okay, y'all, look," he said, appearing to be a little frazzled. "Everything's fine, but we got a little, uh, _situation_ outside."

Carlos stopped what he was doing immediately, and frowned. "What kind of situation?"

"Outside," Luke repeated. "Just...we gotta deal with this, okay? It's important."

Rebecca stood up slowly, going over to the window to investigate. When she saw what was going on, she looked angry. "Oh, hell no. Not _now._ "

Nick and Alvin were in the kitchen by now, and they, too, were figuring out what was going on. Sarah was beginning to get worried. Was everything okay? No one was here to hurt them, were they?

In an instant, Rebecca and Alvin were outside, Nick following suit with his rifle. Luke pulled Carlos aside, whispering something to him that Sarah could only make a little out of.

"Would you take a look at her?" Luke whispered. "I-I don't know, just-"

He was cut off by the sound of a gunshot coming from outside, and he immediately ran off. Yelling could be heard following the noise. Sarah jumped, looking at her father with a frightened expression.

"Dad?" she asked innocently, clearly worried. "Wh-What's-?"

"Sarah, I want you to stay inside," Carlos warned cautiously. "Don't come out for any reason. You will be safe in here."

She nodded slowly, her worry not in the least bit dissipating. Of _course_ she had to stay inside, though. That was absolutely nothing new. She knew that her father would protect her from those dangerous things, though. What was wrong?

Everyone outside seemed to be arguing about something, but what? After about a minute of standing in the hallway by herself, Sarah walked over to the door and opened it just a little. She was still "inside" if she just peeked out, right?

All the adults were outside, standing around, but there was something different about this scenario. Carlos was inspecting the arm of a girl, one that appeared to be Sarah's age or a couple of years younger, wearing a baseball cap. When the girl noticed her, Sarah _had_ to say something.

"Who's she?" she couldn't help asking.

Was the girl going to come in? They wouldn't leave her out here all alone, right?

"Sarah," Carlos scolded, "what'd I say? Stay inside!"

Sarah's curious expression was replaced with that of disappointment, closing the door slowly. Once again, she never got to do anything. It wasn't fair. She wished that she could go outside, just once, to meet this girl. Maybe they would've been friends.

She was sitting on the couch, waiting, when her father, along with the rest of the group, came back inside. But the girl wasn't with them. But why? Not only was it getting dark, but it was beginning to rain as well. Surely she'd have been allowed inside, right? The moment she saw Carlos, Sarah stood up and ran slightly over to him, wanting to know what had happened.

"Dad? What's going on?" she inquired. "Where's the girl?"

Carlos was silent for a few moments, as if debating whether or not his daughter should know the truth. "She's nearby, sweetie. But we can't let her in here, not right now. We have to ensure the safety of all of us. Do you understand?"

"Oh." Sarah couldn't hide her disappointment, but she nodded again. She had _really_ wanted to meet this girl, maybe even become friends.

Carlos placed a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you go upstairs and read your book for a little while? I will check on you soon."

"Okay, Dad." She gave him a small smile, going upstairs to retrieve her book. Her dad's room had a roof window, so she decided to go in there to read instead. She wasn't the biggest fan of thunder, but she did like the sound of rain pattering on the roof as she read.

It must have been sometime later, but the main characters in her books were just about to explore their next mission when the doorknob turned, causing Sarah to look up. A startled gasp escaped when she saw that it wasn't her father, or anyone else from the cabin, but the girl from earlier! What was she doing? Did anyone else know she was in here?

"Shh!" The girl placed a finger to her lips.

Sarah frowned, setting her book aside. "You're not supposed to be in here," she whispered.

For a fleeting moment, the girl stood at her spot, but soon entered the room, closing the door gently behind her. "Hi, can you please help me?"

"I'm not supposed to talk to you," Sarah replied. "My dad can't know."

There was a short pause as the girl sneaked a glance at the book. "What are you reading?" she asked.

"A book," Sarah said slowly.

"What book? I like books."

Maybe she _was_ nice. Sarah didn't feel quite as nervous anymore, and the question made her want the girl to stay even more. They could have so many discussions about books, and even more things! She wouldn't be lonely here anymore!

Another short pause. "It's called _The Guurgles._ It's about trans-dimensional body snatchers."

"Cool."

It was then that the teenager took a look at the girl's arm, and realization as to why Carlos was looking at it finally hit. It was bleeding rather badly, the purple on her left sleeve turning bright red by the second.

"What happened to you?" Sarah whispered, concerned.

"A dog bit me," the girl explained.

"Sounds scary. I bet it hurts."

"I could die if I don't take care of it," the girl said slowly. "Do you understand?" When Sarah didn't say anything, she continued. "I just need something to clean it with. I bet it would be with the rest of your medical supplies."

"Yeah, it is," Sarah confirmed. After some quick thinking, her mind was made up. "I'll help you."

"Good, thank you." The girl gave her a grateful smile.

"I'm Sarah," the older girl introduced herself, smiling back.

"I'm Clementine."

Sarah decided that now was better than never. "We're friends!" she exclaimed. She didn't notice the girl's - _Clementine's_ \- look of surprise as she kept going, standing up as she did so. "Right? We can be best friends! I haven't met another girl my age since way before! It's hard to be the only girl, you know? Rebecca's okay, but she's old. And that's it! And if her baby is a girl it'll be _forever_ before she's old enough to, like, be my friend. And then I'll be super old!"

She hardly noticed that she was rambling, something she did whenever she got excited, but she really hoped that the girl would say yes! Then, they could learn all about each other and be best friends!

To her delight, Clementine gave her the answer she was dying to hear. "Yes, we're friends."

Sarah's eyes lit up. "Promise?" she asked. "It's important. Friends have to trust each other no matter what!"

"I promise."

"Me too! Friends!" She held out her pinky, ready to give her the pinky swear she did with many people. It was something she'd always done, but hadn't been able to do in a long time.

When Clementine intertwined her pinky with Sarah's, the latter's smile grew. "A pinky swear is forever!"

After a moment's pause, she spoke up again. "I'll see if I can find the stuff my dad uses when I get a cut. Lemme look around."

She walked over to the other side of Carlos' bed, rummaging through the medical supplies that only she and her father knew the whereabouts of. She pulled out a bottle of peroxide. It burned, and she didn't like it, but it usually helped to heal any injuries she got.

"I think this is it," Sarah whispered, handing over the bottle.

"That'll work," Clementine said, putting the bottle away.

"You can't do it here, though. Someone will find you!"

"Don't worry, I won't." Clementine Walked back to the bedroom door, opening it. "Thanks, Sarah."

Sarah placed a finger to her lips, shushing her so that she wouldn't be heard. When the door closed, she sat back down on the bed, not being able to help but feel excited. It would be her own little secret, but she had a _friend_ now!

* * *

 **Should I keep going with this? I have a few ideas that can happen if I do!**


	2. Cameras and Guns

Sarah decided to finish another chapter of her book before she was done for tonight. She knew that her father would more than likely be up any minute to tell her that it was time for bed, anyway. She only hoped that he wouldn't find out about her helping Clementine, from the girl herself or otherwise.

Although she was technically supposed to stay upstairs, Sarah was thirsty, and decided to head down to the kitchen to get a drink of water and put her book away for the evening. Carlos didn't like it when she left her things lying around. What she didn't expect to see, however, was Clementine still inside, seated on one of the kitchen's barstools. Had the adults agreed to let her stay after all?

"What are you still doing here?" she asked curiously. She made sure to keep her voice low, on account that her father was more than likely nearby. "Does my dad know? He's not angry with you, is he?"

Clementine seemed to pause momentarily, but not for long. "He's not," she eventually said. "He agreed to fix my arm."

"Oh, good!" Sarah smiled. She glanced down at the book in her hand and remembered her new friend's curiosity about it. "Do you want to borrow my book? I think you'd like it! Then we can read it together!"

"Uh, sure," Clementine answered hesitantly. She took the book and placed it on the table beside her. There was a short silence before the little girl spoke up again. "Thanks again for helping me."

"You're welcome!" Sarah chirped. "We're friends, right?"

"Yeah. We are."

Sarah was more than ecstatic to hear this, and she wished she had all the time in the world to stay here and chat with Clementine the whole night. But she knew she couldn't, and she ended up glancing behind her in case her father chose that moment to return to the kitchen.

"I have to go before my dad sees me down here, but I hope we can talk way more tomorrow!" she exclaimed. "Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Sarah." Clem gave her a small smile in return.

The older girl turned around, deciding not to risk staying longer to get a drink, and headed back towards the stairs. Just the right time, too, because she could see the silhouette of Carlos heading to the kitchen, most likely to tend to Clementine's injury.

She headed up to her own room this time, sitting on her bed with her legs crossed together as she waited for Carlos to come and say goodnight. Said man opened the door to her room only a few minutes later, holding something in his hand. Sarah's heart sank when she saw that it was the very same bottle of peroxide she had given to Clementine only a short time earlier.

He placed the empty bottle down on the bedside table and stood in front of his daughter, arms crossed.

"Sarah, what did I say about talking to the girl?" He wasn't yelling, but he clearly wasn't happy. "She could have been dangerous. She could have hurt you!"

"I-I didn't..." Sarah tried to lie her way through, but she was never a good liar in general. Carlos knew this.

"I know you did. That girl persuaded you to steal from us, and we are low enough on supplies as it is." He was silent for a moment, and the sigh he let out was barely audible. "I'm very disappointed in you, Sarah. You know better."

Sarah's face fell. Her dad's scoldings were the worst, especially when he expressed disappointment. "I'm sorry, Dad. But...but I just wanted to help her! I didn't want anything bad to happen to her."

Carlos' expression softened, if only a little bit. He reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I only do this because I love you and want you to stay safe. People now are more dangerous than they were before. I couldn't bear it if something happened to you."

Sarah nodded, staring solemnly down at her lap. She knew this, especially because it was the same thing her dad always told her, now, whenever she did something bad. She never liked being in trouble.

"I-I didn't mean to be bad," she said innocently. "I'm sorry."

"You're forgiven, sweetie. But you know better, and I don't want you to do it again."

"I won't, I promise."

But she didn't regret helping Clementine, not in the slightest. She _wanted_ to help her, and she hoped that the peroxide would make her arm feel better.

"Good." Carlos nodded. "It's time for bed now."

The next morning, Sarah was a little disappointed to find out from Luke that Clementine had gone with Pete and Nick to check the fish traps for that evening's dinner. Anyone who was scheduled to leave the cabin that day usually woke up early, earlier than she did anyway, but she wished that they had allowed her to stay.

"Hey, don't worry, kid," Luke had assured her. "You'll have all the time in the world to talk when she gets back."

Sarah gave him a small smile in return, knowing that he was probably right. After saying a quick hello to Rebecca and Alvin in the living room, she headed to the kitchen to see that Carlos was just finishing up with preparing breakfast. It seemed like some of the others had already eaten, due to the now massive pile of dishes in the sink.

"Thanks, Dad," Sarah acknowledged when he placed a bowl of oatmeal down in front of her. The group had been lucky to discover an abundance of food along with this cabin, so they were able to make do along with the hunting and fishing trips.

The two ate in silence for a couple of minutes. Sarah didn't ask about Clementine, not wanting to get in trouble.

"Sarah, I'm going to be on watch today outside the house," Carlos explained. "I will be on the porch if there's anything you need, but you are not to go beyond that."

"Oh, okay." Sarah was glad that her father had been staying with her lately, but she still wished that she could go outside with him.

The two finished their breakfast in silence. Carlos cleared the table and placed the dishes in the sink, adding to the ever-growing pile. It was Pete's day to do the dishes, so no doubt he wasn't going to be happy when he came back. Sarah walked into the living room and noticed that Alvin and Rebecca were now gone, possibly to do their own things.

She smiled to herself. Since no one was around, that meant she could do almost anything she wanted! And she knew just what she wanted to do.

She opened the door to the closet where the trap door was located. Carlos told her that she wasn't allowed outside, but he never said anything about going _underneath_ it! She had been down there only once, when she had awoken very early one morning and wanted to see if she could find anything, much like one of the exploring games she had used to play when she was younger.

The trap door was oddly easier to open than last time, for some reason. But Sarah was glad of this! Before someone could hear her, she climbed down and closed the latch, making sure it wasn't locked behind her. Good, it wasn't!

Last time, Sarah hadn't been able to look around much because she had heard people starting to wake up and begin their day, but this time was different! She made sure to keep her steps quiet and her movements soft, on account of the fact that Carlos was practically above her as he kept watch. So far, there was nothing down here except for some broken pieces of glass and an old beer bottle. How had they gotten down here?

It was after a few minutes of exploring that Sarah finally found something, and not something she would expect to find, either. It was a Polaroid camera! Her eyes lit up as soon as she saw it; she'd always wanted a camera! Her father had promised to buy her one for her next birthday before everything had happened, and now she had one all to herself.

A quick test picture confirmed that the camera did work, which made her smile grow. Now she and Clementine could take pictures together! It would be their little secret, just the two of them!

She wished she'd brought her backpack down here to place the camera in, but she would have to make do with carrying it. It was probably time to go back up, anyhow, before someone found her down here. But on her way back to the trap door, something else caught her eye.

A gun. Just like she had seen everyone else use, but didn't know how to use herself. But it didn't mean that she didn't want to learn.

But she had to keep this a secret, too.

Sarah picked it up curiously, a little surprised at how _light_ it seemed to be. It was the same kind of gun she had once seen Pete use, and he had even told her about them. She forgot what kind it was, though.

"Now, don't go tellin' your daddy that I told you about guns," Pete had told her. "It'll be our little secret."

Sarah, as nervous as she was around guns, wanted someone to teach her. She _wanted_ to protect herself, to know when something was wrong. She only wanted to help. A couple of the others had offered to help teach her, but Carlos always had something to say. It was out of the question, every time.

There didn't seem to be any bullets around, and the gun just so happened to be empty. Sarah had no choice but to hide the gun as she went back up the trap door, keeping her camera close as well. She passed Alvin on the stairs on the way up to her room, but he didn't seem to suspect anything. He gave her a smile and nod as he passed, confirming this.

When she arrived to her room, she placed her newfound possessions underneath her bed, her brain forming an idea. Maybe Clementine knew how to shoot. If she did, then she could teach her! They wouldn't have to tell anyone else!

Sarah was excited now. She couldn't wait to show her new friend everything she had found!

The day progressed onto late afternoon, and then early evening. There was still no sign of Pete, Nick, or Clementine returning. This made the group beginning to worry, Luke pacing around in the kitchen.

"Shit, shit, shit, what if something happened?" Luke placed his hands to his head, almost panicking.

"Calm down, perhaps they're fine," Carlos chastised.

"Should we go looking for them?" Alvin questioned.

Sarah walked into the kitchen at that moment, wondering what all the noise was about. She turned to her father. "Daddy, what's going on?"

"Everything's fine, Sarah," Carlos answered, not wanting to scare her. But his face told her that everything was _not_ fine, and that was very worrying.

Sarah knew that something was up, and the way Luke was pacing made her anxiety begin to grow. What had happened? Were they all okay? She reached out to take Carlos' hand, holding it tightly.

"You're frightening my daughter, Luke," Carlos scolded, squeezing Sarah's hand comfortingly. "We will find everyone, but we need to keep calm."

Luke immediately stopped pacing, giving Sarah a look of apology. "Okay, okay. Sorry."

Sarah didn't fully understand the situation, only that the three that had headed out were missing. Luke and Alvin would head out to find them, despite the protests that came from Rebecca.

"Alvin, don't-" Rebecca tried to argue.

"Bec, you know I'll be fine," Alvin interjected, trying to comfort her. "We'll find them."

"Alvin, what good will it do?" Rebecca continued. "They'll come back on their own! They might-"

"Rebecca, we need to go," Luke cut across her. "We'll come right back with the others, and they'll all be just fine."

Rebecca's protests went in vain, with Alvin and Luke leaving the cabin with flashlights and any other supplies needed for a nightly search. Carlos went into the living room, leaving only Sarah and Rebecca in the kitchen. Sarah watched as the older woman took a seat in one of the chairs, placing her hands over her pregnant belly.

She took a hesitant step forward. "Are you okay?"

Rebecca looked up in surprise, almost seeming to forget she was there. "I'm fine, baby. Just a little worried, is all."

"They'll come back, they always do," Sarah tried to reassure her, giving her a small smile. She wasn't usually the person who gave the comfort rather than received it, but she didn't like to see people sad or worried.

Rebecca smiled back, just a little bit. "I'm sure you're right."

The night passed at a snail's pace, the worry for the rest of the group hanging in the air. It felt like hours later when Carlos came into Sarah's room to tell her that she needed to go to bed.

The group still hadn't returned when Sarah woke up the next morning. She found herself back in her room after breakfast, keeping her newfound camera in hand just in case Clementine did come back soon. It wasn't long, though, when she began to hear voices coming from the kitchen. One of them sounded like Clementine! She heard a door open and close, and peeked out of her room. Clementine was beginning to ascend the staircase, so she closed the door and got into position.

 _Now I can show her what I found!_ she thought excitedly. The second the knob began to turn, she was ready.

"Say cheese!" Sarah yelled excitedly, pressing down on the button. A photo of a startled-looking Clementine rolled out of the camera. "I found this under the house! There was all kinds of old stuff!" She handed her the photo. "It's so cool!" she continued. "Take one of me! Come on, take one of me! Please?"

"Sure," Clementine agreed, removing her backpack from her shoulders. She took the camera that Sarah was eagerly holding out in her direction.

"Get me in a good pose, okay?" Sarah moved herself in front of the window, giving the camera a sweet smile. "Okay, I'm ready!"

Clementine took the picture, and it was only then that Sarah noticed that she looked upset about something.

"What's wrong?" she inquired. "Um, where's my dad?"

Was that what she had heard just a few minutes ago? He usually told her that he was leaving, so what made this time different? She was beginning to grow worried.

"You should know what's going on," Clem told her.

"He told you not to tell me...didn't he?" It was really nothing new, and not knowing the whereabouts of her father only made her fears and anxieties grow.

"He is in trouble."

 _Oh, no._ "Oh, my gosh. What happened?"

"...Pete's dead."

Sarah's eyes widened in horror. Dead? That was awful. Pete had always been super nice to her, and he was funny. Not only did this news make her sad, but she feared for her father and everyone else even more now. She turned away from Clementine, feeling herself begin to panic.

"Sorry, I-I just need to..."

She sat down on the floor, hugging her knees close and trying _not_ to become more afraid than she already was. Clementine sat down across from her and gave her a tiny smile of reassurance. Just the fact that the little girl was here had a bit of a calming effect on Sarah, making her smile back. She was still worried, but she remembered that there was something else she wanted her friend to see.

"Want to see what I found?" She went over to where the gun was located, and brought it out for Clementine to see. "Will you show me how to use it? I couldn't find any bullets. If something's wrong, I should know! What if I have to use one?"

"Okay, but it's not a toy," Clementine told her firmly.

"I know."

"First, remember it's just a thing," the younger girl instructed.

"What does that mean?" Sarah asked, pointing the unloaded gun at the window.

"I...don't know."

"I thought it'd be heavier," Sarah said, still wondering why the gun was so light. "Okay, what do I do?"

"The most important thing is, when you go to shoot, take a breath before you pull the trigger." Clementine grabbed Sarah's arm and held it out, unlocking her elbows. That seemed to be crucial, for some reason.

Sarah inhaled very deeply, holding her breath. Every time? It would be really hard to breathe when she finally did learn.

"Not that big," Clem reprimanded.

 _Oh, good!_ The older girl exhaled.

With a smile, she pointed the gun all around the room. "What should I shoot?" she asked a little too eagerly, pointing the gun in Clem's direction.

"Don't do that!" Clementine cried, ducking down.

"S-Sorry! Sorry!" Sarah stuttered. She didn't like being shouted at, but then again, did anyone? She walked over to the window. "Maybe I could practice outside..." She looked around. "There's that tree..."

Then, she saw someone walking around outside. The silhouette seemed familiar, and she thought she knew why. "Hey, Luke's back!"

Sarah walked downstairs to greet him, but decided to look out the downstairs window before doing so. Something was out of place. It wasn't Luke walking, it was someone else. And he looked very, _very_ familiar. She gasped and dashed away from the window, standing by a wall. She couldn't let the man see her!

Clementine walked downstairs and stood beside her, the look on her face wanting to know what was wrong.

Sarah looked down at her, becoming frightened once again. "That's not Luke..."


	3. An Unwelcome Guest

"Clem, I...I think I know him," Sarah pointed out fearfully. The man's face was all too familiar _not_ to know.

Oh yes, she remembered the face quite well, as did the rest of her group, but his name had slipped from her memory during their time in the cabin. She wasn't even sure that she _wanted_ to remember, but she did know that this was an awful man that she had never wanted to see again.

The man knocked on the door a second time.

"He can't see me!" Sarah cried, her body tensing up. "You have to make him go away!"

Clementine couldn't have known this man, could she? He was always nice to people he didn't know, even if the kindness was never genuine. The very thought of this man hurting anyone in their group, especially Carlos, was enough to send Sarah into a panic.

"Go and find somewhere to hide," Clementine instructed.

Sarah found her voice after a moment's pause. "Where?"

"Hello?" the man called, knocking on the door again.

Her breaths were becoming short and limited, and her heart was pounding. These were usually her first symptoms when she was in danger of a panic attack, and it would very well happen if this man were to find her. "Clem, I can't breathe...I ca- I can't breathe!"

Clem shushed her older friend and tip-toed towards the door. She reached out to lock it, but the door opened from the other side. Sarah gasped lightly and moved out of sight, standing practically frozen. She hoped that he wouldn't decide to come in here...

"Hello there," she heard the man greet. There was an almost sickeningly pleasant tone in his deep, gravelly voice. Sarah had managed to quiet her breathing, but her level of fear was only rising.

 _Oh no,_ she thought. _Clem, make him go away!_

"Hello," Clementine greeted skeptically.

"How are ya?"

"Okay...how are you?"

"Well, I'm doing just fine, thank you," the man replied. "My family and I are set up a ways down-river. I'm surprised we haven't run into each other yet. What's your name?"

 _He's lying, he's lying, he's lying!_ Sarah told herself repeatedly. _He doesn't have a family!_

"I'm...Carley," Clem lied.

Carley? Who was that?

"Okay...how are you?"

"Carley. That's a sweet name," the man decided. "Mind if I come in... _Carley?_ " He said the false name in a somewhat distasteful, yet intrigued tone. "I've been out all morning and this heat has got me cooked."

Sarah's hopes of him not entering went down the drain when she heard a second pair of footsteps hit the wooden floor. He was even closer now, dangerously close. Now she knew that she really had to hide. Staying in this one spot would be far too dangerous and risky. The man's next words confirmed what she had been fearing ever since she'd seen him walk by outside.

"Well, I'll cut to the chase," the man explained. "I'm out looking for my people. Seven of them, to be exact. They've been gone a long while, and...I'm worried they might have gotten lost. Maybe you've seen 'em."

Sarah gasped softly, her body beginning to tremble.

"Couple of farm boys and an old man."

 _Luke, Nick, and Pete._

"Spanish guy and his daughter. Quiet girl, bit taller than you."

 _That's...oh no...that's me and Dad!_

"A big black guy. This big. And a pretty little pregnant lady."

 _Alvin and Rebecca._

"That's a lot of people to lose," Clem pointed out.

"Tell me about it. This whole damn thing's a pain in the ass."

Sarah turned her head to see Clementine following him into the kitchen. Now, she could hide without being discovered! She tip-toed into the living room, crouching down behind one of the sofas. Surely, he wouldn't look in here, right?

What was going on in the kitchen? Sarah couldn't make out whatever words were exchanged, but she dared not get up. What if he came out that very moment and noticed her?

Clementine and the man didn't stay in the kitchen for long, however, because they exited only a minute later and made their way to the living room. Sarah knew that it was time to move away as soon as she saw his figure approaching. Her heart was still pounding in her chest, much louder than she liked, as she moved to the other side to avoid being seen.

"Well, this is a real nice place," the man commented. "Kinda cozy."

Sarah heard him walk over to the other couch, and his next words scared her. "I knew a guy that always wore shirts like this. Doctor. Real smug son of a bitch. But a smart man. I miss him."

 _Oh no, oh no, oh no,_ she thought. _Daddy, where are you?_

"What's his name?" Clementine asked.

"Carlos."

Sarah gasped ever so softly. She had to get away! She couldn't let him discover her here! When she made sure he wasn't looking, she made her move and began to tip-toe up the stairs. Luck must have been on her side, because his back was turned to her the entire time. Unfortunately, however, the floor creaked beneath her feet, causing her to jump. She hurried her way into her bedroom and crawled underneath her bed. He wouldn't look up here, he couldn't!

She tensed up again when she heard the sounds of footsteps coming up the stairs, and much to her horror, the footsteps approached her room and came inside. Now it was getting all the more harder to remain calm. She made the briefest eye contact with Clementine as the man took a look around the room.

"I told you, nobody's here," Clementine nearly snapped.

"Seems that way," the man responded. "Didn't mean to be rude. Couldn't just leave you here with a good conscience if someone was pokin' around, right?"

"Sure..."

Silence followed for the smallest of moments, but then, he bent down. Sarah inched her way the furthest she could, silently praying that she wouldn't be seen. It wasn't exactly lucky that he did see something that involved her: the picture the girls had taken just a short time earlier.

"Who's this?"

If Sarah's heart wasn't racing already, it surely was now. She could feel her breathing begin to quicken once again, but tried with all her might to remain quiet.

"My sister," Clementine responded. "She's dead."

"Hmm, sorry to hear that." He paused. "You have no idea who these people are, do you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Lemme ask you this," the man advised. "When you met 'em, how much did they trust you?"

Clem said nothing.

"If people don't trust you, how can you trust them?" he continued.

Not a peep from either girl.

"Well, I think I've troubled you long enough," the man continued. "I can let myself out."

Sarah heard footsteps exiting the room and descending the staircase, as Clem called out, "Why shouldn't I trust them?"

But Sarah didn't hear his response. That was when she decided that it was safe to crawl out from under the bed, taking the photo of herself into her hands. She felt somewhat safer now that it was only she and Clementine again, but she was really wishing that her father were here right now.

"Where is he?" she wanted to know, looking out the window.

"He's gone."

"What if he comes back?" The fear of this was palpable, and even more so if Carlos wasn't back soon.

Clem didn't reply, just looked up at her. "Let's go downstairs and wait for everyone to come back."

"Okay..."

For awhile, Sarah and Clementine just sat on the couch, not saying a word. There was nothing they truly could say, not when everyone in the group was in very real danger.

"We need to find the others," Clem eventually announced.

"We can't go outside!" Sarah argued as the younger girl headed for the kitchen. She had no choice but to stand up and follow.

Right as the two girls entered, however, the group entered through the kitchen door, all unscathed. Sarah was never more relieved to see Carlos back, safe and sound.

"Clementine!" Luke cried.

"Sarah!" Carlos added, while Sarah made no hesitation to run into the safety of his arms.

"You were with Nick, right?" Luke asked Clementine. "We gotta go find him."

As much as she didn't want to, Sarah backed away and decided to speak the truth before something bad happened. She folded her hands together and stared sheepishly at the floor.

"A man was here."

"What?" Carlos hissed.

"What did she say?" Rebecca demanded.

"Someone came to the cabin," Sarah announced, still not looking up.

"What?" Rebecca shouted.

"Clementine talked to him."

"And you just opened the door for him?" Rebecca scolded Clementine.

"Calm down, Rebecca," said Luke.

"Calm down? I am calm! You calm down!"

"I didn't open the door, he just came in!" Clementine replied defensively.

"She's telling the truth!" Sarah backed her up.

"Did he say his name?" Carlos questioned. "Did he say what his name was?"

"Maybe it wasn't him!" Rebecca tried to deny it.

"You know damn well who it was," Alvin countered.

"I didn't ask his name," said Clementine.

"You didn't ask his name? How could you not ask his name?" Rebecca shouted.

"Look, Clem, just...tell us what he looked like," Carlos instructed. "What was he wearing? Did he sound...different?"

"His voice was...gravelly," Clementine described. The more they talked about him, the more Sarah never wanted to see him again.

"He talked about you, Dad," Sarah spoke up, her voice a little shaky. She was starting to become frightened with all the arguing and bombarding questions. "You're not gonna hurt anyone, are you?"

"Of course he won't, Sarah, alright?" Luke reassured her. "Your dad's the nicest man I know, which is why he's not gonna do anything crazy, or not nice, right?" His voice was a little slow during the last part.

Carlos placed a hand on Sarah's shoulder. "You know these are bad people, sweetie," he explained. "They will do or say anything to hurt us."

"Alright, what do you think?" Luke questioned Clem. "Did it seem like he'd be coming back?"

Sarah took the photo of herself into her hands. She knew she could very well be in trouble, but she had to admit it. "He saw a picture of me."

"A picture?!" Carlos yelled, looking down at her angrily. "What were you doing taking pictures?"

Sarah looked down at the floor, her shoulders slumping. Her father's yelling was far worse than his mere scoldings.

"Carlos..." Luke said in a warning tone.

"What?!"

"You need to calm down, alright? You're scaring your daughter."

"I took the picture," Clementine announced. "It's my fault."

"No, she didn't!" Sarah was quick to defend her friend. She would rather get in trouble herself than the younger girl. "I took it myself."

"Sarah..." Carlos trailed off disapprovingly, causing her to turn away. He paused, then continued. "He was scouting. We got lucky; he wasn't expecting to find us. Clementine must have surprised him. If she hadn't been there...well, he was too smart to stick around. But he'll be back with the rest. We don't have much time."

"He's right," Luke agreed. "Everyone pack up. We're movin' out."

"Alvin, wait!" Rebecca called as she followed her husband out of the kitchen.

Carlos turned back around to face Sarah. "We have to leave now, sweetie, before he comes back with more bad guys. But it's gonna be okay. Let's just go get your things."

Why did they have to leave, though? Wasn't it supposed to be safe here? Was that man going to return?

"Why did you leave his camp?" Clem inquired.

"Because we had to," Carlos explained. "Clem, I don't know what he told you, but William Carver is a dangerous man."

A chill was sent down Sarah's spine, now that she remembered the man's name.

"He's the leader of a big camp not far from here, and he's very smart," Carlos continued. "We were lucky to escape. Look, I'm sorry to involve you, but now that he's seen you, you'll be safer with us. We have to leave."

Sarah left the kitchen then, with Carlos following suit. She didn't want to pack up and leave, but they had to.

"Dad?" the teenager asked a little timidly as she packed some of her books.

"Yes?" Carlos didn't turn around, but acknowledged that he was listening.

"Where are we going?"

Carlos paused for a moment. "A safe place," he said. "It's not safe here anymore, sweetie. Do you understand?"

Sarah nodded sadly, her eyes trailing down to the floor once again.

He briefly stopped packing to give her a little bit of comfort, rubbing up and down her arm gently. This made her feel a little better, and she gave him the smallest of smiles. A few minutes later, they were finished packing, and they met the rest of the group in the cabin's kitchen.

"Alright, everyone grab your stuff, let's hit the road," Luke called.

So everyone left the house, Alvin closing the door behind them. Sarah turned around and gave one last look to the cabin that she had called home for several months, and grown to love. She hoped they would return one day.


	4. Heading Out

The cabin seemed to be getting smaller and smaller every time Sarah turned around, and it wasn't long before it was completely out of view. She was going to miss it, but if her dad said that there was somewhere safer out there, then she would trust him. Of course she would.

"Now, you said it was just up here?" Luke asked of Clementine, pointing forward as they trekked on.

"Yeah, just a little ways," Clem replied.

She walked over to the right, cutting off Rebecca, who was talking to her. She seemed to have apologized for something. The young girl walked towards a shed of some kind. Luke followed, taking out his machete. The rest of the group stayed where they were.

A few minutes passed, and Sarah watched as Nick was escorted by Clementine and Luke out of the shed. She would have ran to greet him, but knew that he was more than likely sad about Pete. He probably didn't want her to, anyway. Maybe she could check on him later? Maybe she could make him feel better somehow, if even just a little.

On the group walked, and Luke pulled out a map of the state of Virginia. Since they were in North Carolina right now, that was quite a long way to go.

"I figure we got about four or five days to reach those mountains," he explained. "Now if they're trackin' us, we should be able to lose 'em up there."

"Five days?" Rebecca asked dejectedly. She bent over slightly, more than likely trying not to strain herself due to her pregnant belly.

"It's gonna be okay, Bec," Alvin comforted her.

"We have to keep moving now, it's our only choice," Carlos pointed out.

Throughout the day, Sarah remembered that she didn't like walking, especially not so far a distance. But she knew better than to complain. Save for some walkers, there wasn't a living being around all day. That was a good thing, because it meant that Carver was nowhere to be found. The group took frequent rest breaks - mostly due to Rebecca and her pregnancy - and when night fell, they made camp where it was deemed safe.

"Everyone should get some rest," Luke announced. "We've got a long walk ahead of us in the mornin'. I'll keep first watch."

The group obliged, taking out their sleeping bags and settling into them for the night. Before long, the cool night became calm and quiet. But Sarah found that she couldn't sleep. Not only was being out in the woods at night frightening, but there was no possible way to get comfortable. She turned her head to face Clementine, who was in the sleeping bag next to hers.

"Clementine? Are you awake?" Sarah whispered.

Much to her surprise, the little girl turned back to face her. She clearly had a hard time sleeping as well. "Are you okay?"

"I can't sleep," Sarah murmured. "I don't really like being in the woods at night..."

"I don't either, but we'll be fine," Clem tried to assure her.

As if on cue, a sound similar to an owl's filled the air in the distance. Sarah sat up slightly with a startled gasp, but Clem reached out to touch her arm, letting her know that there was nothing to be afraid of. Nothing would find them in the dark.

"It's okay, just focus on me," she whispered.

The tone of her voice helped Sarah to relax, if only a little bit. She lay her head back down, doing what she was asked. She looked at Clementine apologetically, but the little girl's smile told her that it was okay.

"We can talk for a little bit, if you want," Clementine offered. "But let's not wake your dad up."

That got a smile out of Sarah, who nodded vigorously. "Okay!" she whispered excitedly.

"How old are you?" Clem inquired. "We've...never had much time to really ask."

"I'm fifteen!" Sarah answered. "How old are you?"

"I'm eleven."

"Really?" Sarah's dark eyes widened in surprise. "I thought we were like, the same age!"

"Not quite."

"Oh. Well, that's okay! We're still best friends, right?"

"Yeah. We are."

Sarah beamed at that response, then continued the little game they were playing. She'd forgotten all about the scary things in the woods now. "Okay, what's your favorite color?"

Clementine took a moment to think. "Blue."

"I like pink! Well, I like lots of colors, but pink is my favorite!"

Sarah hoped that she wasn't speaking too loudly, but looking around revealed that the others - minus Luke, whose back was turned - were all still asleep, not a single word of the conversation having been heard. That was good. Neither girl wanted Carlos to wake up and scold them for being up too late.

Thankfully, neither of them had to worry about that. Sarah and Clementine spent the next short while talking about mundane subject after mundane subject, and if not for the time and place, it really would have felt like a sleepover. They even liked a lot of the same things! Unlike most kids, both of them liked school a lot, but Sarah was always a bit shy when it came to meeting new people and playing with other kids. They even liked some of the same books, one of which Sarah had packed and promised to read to Clem the next day. That would be a lot of fun!

The fact that Luke eventually turned around probably meant that they were becoming just a little louder. "What're you two still doin' up?" he whispered. He didn't seem angry, but amused that "girl talk" apparently still existed.

"Just talking," Clementine answered with a shrug.

"Well, y'all might want to turn in soon. Can't afford to wake anyone up." Here, the older man nodded in Carlos' direction. Fortunately, the doctor still wasn't awake to hear anything that had gone on during the girls' talk.

They agreed that Luke was right, though. It was probably time to get some sleep. This talk had helped Sarah to become tired, to forget about the potential dangers that lay within their surroundings. Her eyes began to grow heavy, and in a few minutes, she fell asleep.

In the morning, Sarah found that only a few members of the group were awake. Some were getting ready for the trip ahead, and some were trying to get a little extra sleep. The sun was just beginning to rise, and the morning was still a little on the cool side. It was enough to make Sarah shiver.

She noticed that her dad was one of those awake, so she made no hesitation to go and spend a little time with him. She was careful not to disturb Clementine, who was still asleep next to her, as she made her way out of her sleeping bag.

Carlos looked up from his bag when he noticed his daughter approach. "Good morning, sweetie. How did you sleep?"

"I slept okay, but I kind of miss the beds in the cabin," Sarah answered honestly. She hoped that they didn't have to sleep on the ground much longer.

"We will find safety as soon as possible," Carlos assured her. "I promise you."

Sarah smiled, and then turned her gaze to the dying campfire. Nick was sitting there alone, most likely having taken Luke's place on watch sometime during the night. The look on his face caused her smile to fade. He was sad, just as sad as he had been when his mother had passed not so long ago. No doubt he had to be thinking about Pete. Sarah wished there was something she could do to make him feel better.

She would have tried to approach him, but it was then that the remainder of the group were beginning to rise and prepare for the day's journey. Luke coaxed a reluctant Nick from his spot, and it was on with day two of the group's travels.


End file.
